Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-12-17
Launching a Chestnut.
Prediction Reviewed of the Ear
ly Downfall of the X. of L.
Organization.
Misery's Climax in China. Pros.
porous Anarchist. Crow Re-
serve Commended to Toole.
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
THE hNIUHIo OF IAbOHs
A Prediction that the Order will Fall to
Pieces.

A Prediction that the Order will Fall to
Pieces.
BUFFALO, N. Y, Dec. li.-The ILL.
ness Of General Master Workman
Powderly causes much anxiety in
Knights of Labor circles In this city.
Prominent Knights profess to believe
that his enemies will seize the oppor.
tunity TO make further inroads upon
his position AID undermine him.
There il feeling of uneasiness among
union men who think that the inter-
nal troubles in the ranks of the order
may end In its disruption, and the
trades unions are not the least bsck-
ward In expressing the opinion that
theKnights have reached the pinnacle
Of greatness and that the organic ition
Is rapidly retrograding. Commenting
upon the situation Adolph Strasses,
presid snt of the International Cigar.
makers union, said today: II AN
not surprised at the trouble In the
Philadelphia assembly. for 1t only yer.
ifies my prediction made a year ago,
when said that instead Of some 7Od.-
900 paper members Ia the Knights OF
Labor, there would not be over i70,
900 at the end OF twoyears. AS mat.
ter of fact, the real strength Of the
organization now is not over l20, 900.
The order swept over the country like
a great wave. 1t is bound TO recede
just as rapidly as 1t advanced. The
principal reasons" he went on, "for
this reaction is that men joined the or
der for selfish motives, hoping to bet
ter their position. That is the case Of
course, 10 every organization, but in
the Knights OF Labor the intention sof
the members IL not 30 much to- better
the condition Of the workmen. but {, 7
the increase Of wages. 1t has not so
much for its object the raising Of the
standard Of labor rs increasing its pay.
The result WAS any number of striker
and as men can't live during a strike
without money, and as money failed
to come, the strikes were failures; but
the great mistake IVES at the Cleveland
convention when they rejected the
overtures of the trade union. We Of.
fered q treaty 10 which We were to
work In unison, but to have control Of
our individual matters. This they
would not allow, aud the employers
made up their mind to fight the wea-
ker organization. the Knights Of La
Dor. Iftbe capitalists succeed In de.
featiDg them, then the unions will
have o.fght the next battle. IL il
folly to assert, however, that there will
be O breakup within two weeks, a
month or = year. / do not look for it::so
coon as that. But there will be some
thing else to succeed them, for labor
will keep an organization. Nor do l
look for Powderly's downfall right
away. He 10 brainy man, mag
netic man too. He Is a good actor sno
can cry on the easiest provocstior
genuine tears. He slways makes
friends, and men who are against him
turn to his side when they hear hin
speak, for he appeals to the heart an'
not To the head. The X. of l.. has no
ceased It's war on the trades uniods. l
has been done secretly, not openly
That is oil there is to it, They hsv
no friendship for us, and though the,
smile in our faces, they stab us In tn
back. No. 1 don't look for any grea
upheaval at present 1t will be tw'
good years before the organization
loses its entire prestige"